Sort of a "chances" thread; sort of a general question...

Colleges and Universities A-Z Johns Hopkins University
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<p>Alright, so, Hopkins is one of my very very top choices (numero uno is taken, but it's right behind.) I love it because, first of all, the atmosphere is just amazing. The campus is beautiful, and I love that it's in the middle of Baltimore. It's like, one second you're in this this thriving, bustling, kinda gritty city, and the next you're on this gorgeous campus full of bricks, white, and green. (I don't care what anyone says -- I live in a suburb of Baltimore and it's an awesome city, despite its negative points.) I also love that it's one of the only schools that offers majors (err, concentrations? I can't keep track of which school uses what) in cognitive science, neuroscience, AND cognitive neuroscience, which is my intended major! Frickin' excellent. </p>

<p>Anyways, my question is about the... erm... numbers-consciousness of Hopkins. Some schools give off this vibe of being really concerned with numbers, to the extent that high enough scores will almost guarantee an applicant acceptance. But other schools care a LOT more about personality, and to my paranoid self, it seems like high stats are verging on being a *dis*advantage! (My top choice school, alas, is one that gives off this vibe. :/) Okay, that sounds really weird, but let me explain myself. Schools always like to talk about how they reject all these perfect scorers because they're boring and must just sit at home doing nothing (or studying) and blah blah blah. No PASSION, right? And although my numbers are far from perfect, they're high enough so that I'm concerned about being one of THOSE applicants. You know what I mean. The committee looks at them and says "Nice stats. But these ECs... ahhh. This person must be boring. REJECTION!" </p>

<p>Now, I know that good enough essays can spice up an application, as can demonstrated interest. My essays are pretty revealing of my personality/interests, and I definitely plan on showing Hopkins that I'm really interested in attending, but I mean... who knows how I'll come across? Who knows if it'll be enough? </p>

<p>I know that no one knows the answer to my question. There's no perfect formula for admission, blah blah blah. I suppose what I'm looking for is anecdotal evidence in one direction or another. ("Oooh I had this friend who didn't do anything major but did really well on her SATs and she got in!" :) or "I had this friend with really good grades and stats but no clear focus or passion and she was rejected." :() </p>

<p>But yeah, here's my info. You can skip it and just answer my question without looking at my stuff in particular, if you want.</p>

<hr>

<p>Personal info</p>

<p>I'm a white female at a public school in Maryland. My SSN is 2-7-4-7... just kidding? :|</p>

<p>Academics
[ul][li] GPA: 4.0 UW (rank 1/333, tied with 10 others); 4.81 W (rank 2/333, alone)[/li][li] SAT I: 800 CR, 800 Math, 790 Writing[/li][li] SAT IIs: 780 Literature, 720->750 Math IIC (two takes hehe I suck), 590->720 French (HAHAHA I dunno what happened but I'm really more proud of the 590 than the 720 because of the epic lulz), Chemistry and Physics to be taken this month[/li][li] APs: Comp Sci A (5), Govt & Politics (4), Comp Sci AB (4), Calc AB (5), English Language (5), World History (5) [/li][li] Senior schedule: AP English Lit, AP Chemistry, AP Psychology, AP Biology, AP French 5, AP Calc C/Multivariable Calc, GT Intern/Mentorship (more on this later.) Fortunately I got all 'A's first quarter; hopefully I will be able to maintain them! :)[/ul][/li]Extracurriculars </p>

<p>This is where I'm weeeak. D: I'll try to keep it brief.</p>

<p>More significant:[ul][li] Intern/Mentorship (12): Intern/Mentorship is this awesome program offered in my county. A student is paired with a mentor in his or her area of interest and is required to spend 4-5 hours a week at the mentor's site. We also have lotsa homework and stuff; it's pretty intense. Our year-long internship will culminate in a final product. I'm studying with a Cognitive Science professor at Hopkins(!!!) and I love it. :][/li][li] Information Technology Academy (9, 10, 11, secretary/treasurer 12): A blanket organization for technology-related events. I've participated in computer-programming competitions 'n' stuff.<br>[/li][li] Art Club (10, 11, co-president 12): Create art projects in the school and community![/ul]</p>[/li]
<p>Less significant:[list][li] Summer programs: One at UDelaware for five weeks before my junior year; one at Brown for two weeks last summer (took a course on neuroscience!) I know that these programs only represent that my parents can afford them, blah blah blah; I've heard that enough. But I think it's pretty representative of my personality that I chose to spend my summers LEARNING, ya know?![/li][li] Math Team (10, 11, 12): You knowww.[/li][li] PCs4Kids (11): This was unexpectedly discontinued this year. :/ But it was a really worthwhile program -- we donated computers to needy students in the community and had mentoring sessions in which we taught them how to use them.[/li][li] National Honor Society (11, 12): We do stuff, I promise. 4+ hours community service a month required.[/li][] **French National Honor Society (11, 12):* *Nous sommes cultiv</p>

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<p>You are. I would say community college, or maybe a lower tier state university/directional school at best. Basically Hopkins hates kids from Maryland, and doesn't take people who don't dedicate their lives to ECs...</p>

<p>Obviously you have a shot, and I think the professor rec (you're getting one, right)/mentorship connection should help boost your chances a bit.</p>

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<p>sounds to me like you want some people to say you'll definitely get into Hopkins.<br>
"my stats are far from perfect"</p>

<p>when did 10 points on the SAT become far from perfect? when did a 4.0 UW gpa, become far from perfect (oh wait, it is perfect). </p>

<p>to be honest, you have a great shot anywhere, even at harvard, but i don't think you need people on this forum to tell you whether you have a chance or not.</p>

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<p>@ amciw: I'm not getting a rec from the professor... I know it'd be a good idea but I haven't known him long enough to feel comfortable asking him to do that for me. </p>

<p>@ nooob: Nooo it's not like that at all! "Far from perfect" was a bad choice of words... I just meant they weren't ABSOLUTELY perfect, like valedictorian + 2400 + 800x3 on SAT IIs. 'Cause I didn't wanna come across like, "Oh yeah so my stats are AMAZIINNGGG but I'm afraid I'll get rejected because of my ECs" when they're not like OMGPHENOMENAL (and really I'm just talking about my SAT IIs, hehe.)</p>

<p>What I'm trying to say is, like, my stats are VERY GOOD, I know, but my ECs are unexceptional... way below average by CC standards. So I guess I DO want reassurance (doesn't everyone who posts a chances thread?) but I'm totally not expecting "You'll definitely get into Hopkins"; I just want people to say, like, "It's okay that your ECs aren't great; you have a good chance because of the numbers." Because I've defffinitely heard a lot of "COLLEGES HATE PEOPLE WITH 2400S WHO JUST JOIN A BUNCH OF CLUBS AND HAVE A LAUNDRY LIST RARARARA."</p>

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<p>It's okay that your ECs aren't great; you have a good chance because of the numbers.</p>

<p>hahaha well I thought it was funny... obviously with your "numbers" you have a great shot at getting into most colleges in the US. Your only drawback would be, like you already mentioned, your ECs. </p>

<p>If you don't want to come across as a hermit who does nothing significant but study, you should try to give your essays a very personal touch. You want to convince your readers that you are more than the numbers. If you look at it this way you really don't have to do anything unbelievably amazing in terms of ECs as long as you are able to make the most of what you have done. Simple yet Personal is an effective strategy.</p>

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<p>" My SSN is 2-7-4-7... just kidding? :|"</p>

<p>lmao...I think you have a good shot; JHU takes a lot of kids from MD (I'm from there too!) and trust me, I have worse scores than you, but I am fairly confident I will get in...</p>

<p>I'm sure you are a MD Distinguished scholar finalist (I was semi-finalist) so that makes you a pseudo-shoe-in!haha</p>

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<p>lol ull get in cuz of ur scores dont worry... most kids feel the opposite... im the opposite part lol</p>

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<p>i think you'll get in.. especially if you're applying neuroscience.</p>

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<p>Numbers will get you serious consideration -- that said, the review process as AdmissionsDaniel describes is tells us that students with exceptional numbers are not always offered admission... this is taken directly from his blog:</p>

<p>"This "approach" is a way to look at each individual application in the context of the entire applicant pool while factoring in the goals of the Admissions Office and the University in total. It is both our philosophy as well as our directive. The directive is to go beyond the facts -- look at the application subjectively and objectively -- take a deep analysis of each file -- read between the lines when necessary. The approach is holistic, it is comprehensive, it is imperfect but it works because of the talent of the staff. It is a focus on the applicant rather than just the application. And the ultimate goal is to admit the RIGHT students for Johns Hopkins. The RIGHT FITS.</p>

<p>To expand on these opening points, let me tell you the about the three categories that define what we are looking for in our applicants:</p>

<p><a href="1">I</a> ACADEMIC POTENTIAL</p>

<p>A bit obvious, but this is truly the most important category of thoughts that we consider when approaching our application reviews. We are simply looking for the best and brightest scholars. This is the foundation for which our entire review process is built upon.</p>

<p>Here is where we evaluate the applicant's academic abilities, academic achievements, and academic promise. We thoroughly evaluate the high school transcript, academic enrichment experiences, letters of recommendation from educators, and standardized test scores. The rigor of a student's curriculum matters; their performance throughout high school matters; their contribution in their classrooms matters; their academic relationship with their teachers and peers matters; their performance on national standardized tests matters. Everything matters.</p>

<p>But it is not just about evaluating the past and present, but predicting the future. Our role is to question for each and every applicant, what will they contribute to Johns Hopkins academically? This sense of contribution is equally important to the sense of the student as a scholar. Numbers, averages, statistics do matter -- but they matter in the context of the full review of an applicant's academic experiences and potential.</p>

<p>(2) PERSONAL QUALITIES</p>

<p>The academic review is paramount, but it is absolutely not the only criteria we consider. In many cases, equally important is a look at the applicant as a person, as an individual, as a human being. Personal qualities matter. We want students that will be productive, will be positive, and will ultimately strive to make a difference. Johns Hopkins is both an educational institution as it is a learning community, and this sense of an individual's role in both settings is important.</p>

<p>Here is where a student's extracurricular life and their essays become crucial. Just as we evaluate academics in a dual format (past achievements and predictions of potential), we take that approach to reviewing an applicant's personal qualities and contribution. We look at their past achievements in their school and in their community, taken into account what other's write about them, and finally listen to their own personal voice in the essays. It is once again about contribution. Questions of leadership, service, commitment, passion, and potential are all key in this part of the review.</p>

<p>Just as we want students who will academically fit and contribute to the classroom, we want students who socially will fit and contribute to the community. Those AP courses matter, but so do those clubs and organizations you got involved with, and so do the words you write discussing who you have been, who you are, and who you will be.</p>

<p>(3) BUILDING A COMMUNITY</p>

<p>The final item we consider can be summarized in three simple words: The Big Picture. Once we have evaluated you academically and personally, now the ultimate question is asked: do you fit the community we are building at Johns Hopkins? Are you one of the pieces to the grand puzzle? Many students "wow" us with their academic accomplishments or their pursuit of their passions, but we also need to conclude that the student fits our goals for the Class.</p>

<p>The nature of the whole matters as much as the evaluation of the individual. We want a class that is diverse and has great breadth. The more diverse the class in all ways, shapes, and forms, the stronger the class will be. And when we say diverse we mean it in all categories - race, ethnicity, gender, academic interests, special talents, demographics, etc. We benefit from the fact that we have an amazingly diverse pool of applicants to start. The difficult part is reviewing each and every applicant and determining if and where they fit into the big picture of what we want the Class of 2011 (and beyond) to look like.</p>

<p>I hope this has shed some more light on how we admissions professionals do our jobs. As I have said many times before, this is not an easy task. But we all approach it with respect, commitment, and focus, and we do a pretty darn good job each year.*</p>

<p>Hopkins</a> Insider: The Approach ... and a Brain Dump</p>

<p>All in all, numbers will get you a strong look, but you have no idea who else is in the pool... as in if JHU takes a kid ranked 2/330 and 2350 SAT who is a superstar leader and heavily involved (class pres, etc), or 3/330 2260 then numerically it's not going hurt them to NOT offer you a spot. Even check some of the STAT PROFILES:</p>

<p>780/780/800; top 10%, = Waitlisted
780/790/760; top 10% = Waitlisted
800/730/800; 3.97, = Waitlisted
750/780/800, top 5 students; 4.00 = Rejected
790/760/770, top 10%, 3.83 = Rejected
800/780/800, top 5 students, 4.00 = Accepted
760/610/760, top 10%, 3.86, = Accepted
780/710/690, top 5 students, 3.90 = Accepted</p>

<p>Apply, see how it goes. GL.</p>